Whanganui public asked to conserve water use

Published on 03 February 2020

Whanganui District Council is asking the public to conserve its water use because of recent rural fires and ongoing dry conditions in the Whanganui District.

The Council’s Senior Engineering Officer, Dave Rudolph, says, “Recent Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) call-outs and parched conditions mean the Council is currently supplying an extra five million litres of water per day above normal seasonal demand to its reticulated supply.

“FENZ ground crews rely on water from our reticulated supply to fight fires and protect lives and properties. It’s vital to public safety that an adequate water supply is available to emergency responders at all times.

“The Council asks the Whanganui public to please be sensible with their water use. Avoid wasting water by not leaving sprinklers on too long, fix any leaks on your property and generally be ‘water-wise’ with your water consumption.”

If any leaks in the reticulation supply are observed, please call the Council on (06) 349 0001 – the Snap Send Solve smartphone app is also a fast and easy way for the community to report issues to the Council using photos.

While the dry weather persists the public is requested to take the utmost care with the disposal of cigarette ends and the operation of outdoor machinery, especially mowers.

If you see smoke or fire and believe there's a risk to people or property, call 111 and ask for “Fire” immediately. If you're not sure whether it's a real emergency or not, call 111 and ask. For more information on the current rural fire season, please visit: www.checkitsalright.nz